Beijing Benz drives production in China despite market slump - China Daily
Despite the market plunge, Sino-German joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co is still confident and planning to bring new locally made Mercedes models to Chinese consumers in the near future. "We are very confident about the future," said Peter Schabert, the new president and CEO of BBAC on Aug 24, when the company celebrated its 10th anniversary in Beijing. According to Schabert, the new locally produced GLC and C-Class SUV will hit the assembly line by the end of 2015. Apart from new models, the company plans to raise its annual output from 150,000 vehicles last year to 200,000 this year, an annual... A clear plan, a variety of products and high quality standard are the keys to higher growth rates than the average growth rate of the country's vehicle market, said Chen Hongliang, senior executive vice-president of BBAC. The company launched its long wheelbase C-Class last year and GLA-Class compact SUV in April. According to Chen, more than 50 percent of Mercedes-Benz models are made in China, and there will be more locally produced models in the future. It is expected that Mercedes' first China-made plug-in hybrid model will hit the market later this year, and the company plans to make its own NEV models. Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn
